Would you have a home birth?

As the NHS says home births are safest, watch a home video of a home birth

Where would you rather give birth?Photo: Rex Features

By Telegraph Features

3:38PM GMT 03 Dec 2014

If evidence from One Born Every Minute is anything to go by, giving birth is often a terrifying and agonising experience. A human being is squeezed through a hole that’s certainly not big enough to fit a human being and, while the end result may be wonderfully joyous, the childbirth procedure can involve massive amounts of painkillers and medical attention.

Some women would rather have open-heart surgery at home than give birth to a child without the guidance of doctors, but the NHS has changed its advice and now says that giving birth at home or in a midwife-led unit is safer than hospital for most women.

The video below, showing the early stages of a home birth, suggests the whole experience is rather spa-like.

A childbirth set to melodic tunes and in a bath of petal-strewn warm water sounds rather peaceful – but would you rather a hefty dose of heavy-duty painkillers?

Some women swear by home births, and say that the personalised midwife attention and relaxed environment creates less tension, which means childbirth hurts less. Others are too anxious about the prospect of an epidural-free childbirth to give up their hospital bed.

There’s strong debate over whether home births are simply a cheaper option that saves the NHS money or a far safer place to give birth – tell us your thoughts in the comments below.